Toby Sweetman has taken the biggest win of his fledgling cycling career and done it in an Irish jersey at the Junior Tour of Ireland today. He was one the main movers in a strongman's group that pulled clear over the final climb of the day.
Though that group initially numbered almost 20 riders, it was trimmed back to 11 by the time it reached the finish in Kilfenora, Co Clare, for the battle for stage victory after 122.8km of racing.
And while Sweetman - who usually competes with VC Glendale - had stepped up during the final to push on the breakaway move, he still had the legs to finish the job and take the stage win, the second for Irish riders on the race after Matthew Walls (Cycling Leinster) won Wednesday's stage 2.
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Sweetman was pushed very close today by the in-form first-year junior classification leader Toby Tombs (Lee Valley Youth CC).
Tombs has been very impressive on this race, and is one to watch, but today Sweetman managed to hold off his British rival in the lunge for the line.
Luca Bednarek, the British rider with US team Hot Tubes, was 3rd, adding that result to his win on stage 1 and his tally in the points classification, which he led today.
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TOBBBBBBYYYYYYYYY
TOBY SWEETMAN WINS IN KILFENORA! #JTI25 pic.twitter.com/tiEj8TCUys
— Junior Tour Ireland (@JTIreland1) July 11, 2025
The winning 11-man move had pulled clear up and over the final ascent of the day, Castle Hill, about 20km from the finish. So determined were the strongest riders to stay away that almost 10 who initially made the selection were spat out the back on the 20km run in to the finish.
Yesterday's stage winner, and race leader, Jack Ray (Hot Tubes) made the cut, finishing 5th, and even made a bid for another stage victory about 5km from the finish. The aforementioned Walls, who is 2nd overall at just one second, was also in the breakaway as was Fionn Killeen (Cycling Leinster).
As the riders came over the top of Castle Hill, 12 were clear, with their number then swelling to 19. They were chased by a group of six at 10 seconds, with another five riders about 10 further seconds back.
However, the hammer went down at the front and, rather than the chasers closing up to the leaders, the back door in the front group was open, with riders being jettisoned. Yellow jersey Ray was also one of the prime movers on the front of the lead group, pushing the pace along.
Behind the leaders, a number of groups on the road after the climb merged into a chasing pack. And as the leaders raced towards the 5km to go marker, their advantage was close to 50 seconds on a bunch of about 30.
Though race leader Ray, and stage 1 winner Luca Bednarek (Hot Tubes) both made efforts to get clear and snatch another win, the group arrived at the finish intact; Sweetman hitting the front early and taking a fantastic win.
Bednarek has taken the yellow jersey from his team mate and that duo are on the same time at the top of the general classification. Walls remains in 3rd place, just one second off the yellow jersey with two stages remaining.
More to come.
